Smiths Grove, KY Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Smiths Grove is lower than Kentucky average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Smiths Grove is higher than Kentucky average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #914
| Smiths Grove, KY | 0.02 |
| Kentucky | 0.24 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Smiths Grove, KY | 0.0000 |
| Kentucky | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #420
| Smiths Grove, KY | 179.60 |
| Kentucky | 136.89 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 2,773 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Smiths Grove, KY were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 1 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 0 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 400 | Hail: | 638 | Heat: | 0 | Heavy Snow: | 7 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 4 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 6 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,665 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 5 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 47 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Smiths Grove, KY.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Smiths Grove, KY.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Smiths Grove, KY.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 79 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Smiths Grove, KY.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.8 | 1968-05-26 | 2 | 37°04'N / 86°14'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Warren | |||
| 3.2 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 37°05'N / 86°10'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Edmonson | |||
| 5.9 | 1995-05-18 | 2 | 36°59'N / 86°20'W | 36°59'N / 86°13'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 80K | 0 | Warren |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado was intermittently on the ground over a five mile length. Several homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 6.9 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 36°57'N / 86°09'W | 37°00'N / 86°06'W | 4.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Barren |
| 12.6 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 36°48'N / 86°24'W | 36°57'N / 86°09'W | 17.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 2 | 45 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren |
| 12.8 | 1979-03-31 | 3 | 37°01'N / 86°05'W | 37°05'N / 85°52'W | 12.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 19 | 2.5M | 0 | Barren |
| 13.2 | 1995-05-18 | 2 | 36°59'N / 86°26'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 303K | 0 | Warren | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado was intermittently on the ground over a one and one-half mile length. Numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed on the north side of Bowling Green. | |||||||||||
| 17.6 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 36°56'N / 86°37'W | 37°07'N / 86°26'W | 12.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren |
| 18.5 | 1995-05-18 | 2 | 36°59'N / 86°32'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 140K | 0 | Warren | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado was intermittently on the ground over a two and one-half mile length. Several homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 18.9 | 1971-04-27 | 3 | 37°08'N / 86°37'W | 37°06'N / 86°28'W | 8.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Warren |
| 19.6 | 1998-04-16 | 3 | 36°50'N / 86°05'W | 36°59'N / 85°43'W | 22.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 2 | 9 | 10.0M | 0 | Barren |
| Brief Description: M67MH, M47OU A series of three tornadoes cut a long path of destruction across south central Kentucky during the late afternoon and early evening of April 16. Three people were killed, two in Barren county and one in Metcalfe, as the tornadoes moved through. A 78 year old man was killed by fallen debris from his house in Wisdom accounting for the Metcalfe county death. In Glasgow of Barren county, a 67 year old man was killed in his mobile home and a 47 year old man was killed by flying debris off his greenhouse. The Glasgow area of Barren county and the Pellyton area of Adair county were hardest hit sustaining F3 damage. In Glasgow, 1 house was destroyed and 45 were badly damaged. 35 mobile homes and 25 barns were also badly damaged or destroyed. Winds were estimated at around 175 mph in the Glasgow area. Another wide area area of severe destruction took place across northern Adair county from around Portland to Pellyton. There, 14 houses were destroyed or received major damage. 3 mobile homes and 27 barns were also destroyed. 146 homes and 50 barns were damaged or destroyed across Barren county, while 30 homes, 84 barns, 2 schools and 8 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Adair county. Metcalfe county also sustained minimal damage to 19 structures, major damage to 43 and destruction to 54. F2 damage was estimated across much of Metcalfe county. Many eyewitnesses across the affected counties reported two smaller sub-vortices within the parent funnels. After reviewing Doppler radar reflectivity patterns and damage patterns, it appears the first tornado moved from northern Logan county to the Barren-Metcalfe county line. Then another formed in the near Wisdom in Metcalfe county before it dissipated 2 miles east of Edmonton. A final tornado from the parent supercell formed near Portland in Adair county and moved 20 miles to Pellyton before also dissipating. | |||||||||||
| 19.7 | 1991-04-09 | 2 | 36°58'N / 85°52'W | 0.50 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Barren | |
| 19.8 | 1997-01-24 | 2 | 36°59'N / 85°54'W | 36°59'N / 85°49'W | 5.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 2 | 1.8M | 0 | Barren |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado swept a 500-600 yard 7 mile path from just south of Glaskow to the small town of Wisdom, 5 miles west of Edmonton. The tornado damaged over 40 homes and several mobile homes. 2 people were injured including one seriously in a mobile home 1 mile southeast of Glaskow along Highway 90. One $275,000 home had its middle section completely destroyed. In addition, many large trees were downed in a convergent pattern. Residents and county DES said quarter to half a dollar size hail preceded the tornado by only seconds. Total damage was estimated at 2 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 23.0 | 2005-11-06 | 2 | 37°17'N / 85°55'W | 37°17'N / 85°54'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.1M | 0 | Hart |
| Brief Description: A cold front set off a line of severe thunderstorms during the predawn hours of November 6. One of the thunderstorms spawned an F2 tornado that struck downtown Munfordville in Hart County. The tornado caused major damage to 44 homes and two businesses. Twenty-five homes were declared uninhabitable. Six businesses and 34 homes had minor damage. Munfordville Elementary School had part of the roof removed by the tornado. About 50 vehicles in a car dealership lot were totaled. | |||||||||||
| 24.7 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 36°43'N / 86°32'W | 36°48'N / 86°24'W | 9.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Simpson |
| 25.8 | 2006-04-07 | 2 | 36°54'N / 85°49'W | 36°55'N / 85°44'W | 5.40 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 4 | 1.4M | 0 | Barren |
| Brief Description: Fifteen to 20 homes were destroyed, mainly in the Temple Hill area. Another dozen or so homes, along with barns and outbuildings, sustained heavy damage. Four people in the area were treated for minor injuries. The tornado formed about a mile northeast of Temple Hill just south of Barbour Road. Numerous trees were topped, and several homes were damaged. Most of the structural damage occurred along Moore Road, where several mobile homes were moved considerable distances and destroyed. A large RV was flipped over, a large tractor was moved about five feet, and a horse trailer was thrown over 75 yards. The tornado reached its peak intensity near the intersection of Moore Road and Highway 839. The storm then crossed into Metcalfe County about 2.9 miles northeast of Nobob. | |||||||||||
| 27.4 | 1989-05-22 | 2 | 36°43'N / 86°34'W | 36°47'N / 86°30'W | 5.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Simpson |
| 27.8 | 2008-02-06 | 3 | 36°42'N / 85°58'W | 36°42'N / 85°57'W | 1.00 Mile | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 30K | 200K | Monroe |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This EF3 tornado crossed into a wooded section of Monroe County from Allen County, and lifted near Highway 87 south of the town of Fountain Run. Several outbuildings were destroyed and a car was flipped on Circle D Lane. On Akersville Road, fences were downed and about 200,000 log feet of timber were knocked down. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front along with a strong upper level low produced a squall line that crossed central Kentucky. This set off widespread severe weather, and spawned several tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 28.2 | 2008-02-06 | 3 | 36°38'N / 86°06'W | 36°42'N / 85°58'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 4 | 11 | 1.3M | 0K | Allen |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado destroyed 12 homes and mobile homes, mainly in the Amos community and in the Tracy Lane area. Many other homes and buildings were damaged. Four people were killed in the Tracy Lane area, and eleven others were injured in southeast Allen County. The tornado continued through rural and wooded sections of eastern Allen County, and crossed into Monroe County, Kentucky near the town of Fountain Run. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front along with a strong upper level low produced a squall line that crossed central Kentucky. This set off widespread severe weather, and spawned several tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 28.2 | 1971-04-27 | 3 | 37°17'N / 86°54'W | 37°11'N / 86°26'W | 26.60 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ohio |
| 28.3 | 1965-11-26 | 2 | 37°07'N / 85°45'W | 37°06'N / 85°39'W | 5.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Metcalfe |
| 28.9 | 1971-05-24 | 2 | 36°39'N / 86°38'W | 36°47'N / 86°25'W | 15.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Simpson |
| 29.0 | 2006-04-07 | 2 | 36°54'N / 85°44'W | 36°54'N / 85°42'W | 2.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 175K | 0 | Metcalfe |
| Brief Description: Several homes and barns were destroyed on Froedge-Dubree and Pitcock Roads in the Summer Shade area, as a tornado moved from Barren into Metcalfe County. | |||||||||||
| 29.5 | 2005-11-15 | 2 | 36°48'N / 86°39'W | 36°48'N / 86°38'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Simpson |
| Brief Description: A supercell thunderstorm developed over northern Tennessee and moved into south central Kentucky during the early evening hours of November 15. It produced multiple, short-lived tornado touchdowns along its path, which stretched for nearly 25 miles across three counties. The second touchdown from this supercell was in Simpson County near Pilot Knob. The weak F2 tornado damaged trailers and downed many trees along a path of roughly a mile. | |||||||||||
| 30.3 | 1961-05-07 | 3 | 37°24'N / 86°37'W | 37°24'N / 86°28'W | 8.20 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grayson |
| 31.1 | 1972-04-21 | 3 | 37°30'N / 86°11'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Grayson | |
| 31.2 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 37°25'N / 86°34'W | 37°30'N / 86°20'W | 14.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Grayson |
| 31.2 | 1971-04-27 | 3 | 37°11'N / 86°54'W | 37°08'N / 86°37'W | 15.90 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Butler |
| 31.3 | 1972-04-21 | 3 | 37°17'N / 86°44'W | 37°19'N / 86°38'W | 5.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Butler |
| 31.5 | 1997-03-28 | 3 | 37°22'N / 85°55'W | 37°26'N / 85°46'W | 9.00 Miles | 1200 Yards | 1 | 14 | 1.4M | 0 | Hart |
| Brief Description: M40PH A 40 year old man was killed as an F3 tornado with winds estimated at 175 mph touched down near Bonnieville in Hart county and moved northeast 9 miles to the town of Magnolia in Larue county before lifting. The deceased man was killed in his house in Hammonville as the house was blown 50 yards away from its foundation. A few other poorly secured homes were lifted clean off their foundations as well. Most of the injured were hurt when the tornado crossed I-65 at exit 71 causing several accidents. In Hart county, 14 people were injured in addition to the 1 death. 32 houses and 8 mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed most in Bonnieville. DES officials estimate total damage at 1.4 million dollars. In Larue county, 22 houses and 20 barns were heavily damaged or destroyed with most of the damage in Magnolia. DES officials estimated total damage around 3 million dollars half of which was damage to a dairy farm. The farmer lost 80 cattle as as the barn collapsed on them. One man lost a restored model-T that he was used in car shows and exhibits. The only injury was to a Deputy Sheriff who rode out the storm in his cruiser. He badly bruised his hand and said he witnessed a near-by uninhabited car thrown more than 20 feet overtop of his cruiser. | |||||||||||
| 31.8 | 2000-05-23 | 3 | 37°32'N / 86°18'W | 37°29'N / 86°14'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 16 | 50.0M | 0 | Grayson |
| Brief Description: A storm survey was done by NWS personnel on Wednesday May 24. The survey found severe damage to residential and industrial structures. Three vortices combined into a single tornado north of Leitchfield, then moved east to southeast at 40 to 45 mph. The path moved through the northeast and east sections of Leitchfield and beyond. (Path length and width are estimated). The structural damaged evidenced the presence of an F3 tornado, with maximum winds around 175 mph. Houses that were virtually destroyed, but still had parts of their structure remaining above the main floor, were the basis of the F3 evaluation. Severe damage to nearby factories also supported the F3 evaluation. | |||||||||||
| 31.8 | 1959-01-21 | 3 | 37°24'N / 86°37'W | 37°26'N / 86°30'W | 6.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 3 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grayson |
| 31.9 | 1998-04-16 | 2 | 37°00'N / 85°42'W | 36°59'N / 85°34'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 0 | 5.0M | 0 | Metcalfe |
| Brief Description: M78PH A series of three tornadoes cut a long path of destruction across south central Kentucky during the late afternoon and early evening of April 16. Three people were killed, two in Barren county and one in Metcalfe, as the tornadoes moved through. A 78 year old man was killed by fallen debris from his house in Wisdom accounting for the Metcalfe county death. In Glasgow of Barren county, a 67 year old man was killed in his mobile home and a 47 year old man was killed by flying debris off his greenhouse. The Glasgow area of Barren county and the Pellyton area of Adair county were hardest hit sustaining F3 damage. In Glasgow, 1 house was destroyed and 45 were badly damaged. 35 mobile homes and 25 barns were also badly damaged or destroyed. Winds were estimated at around 175 mph in the Glasgow area. Another wide area area of severe destruction took place across northern Adair county from around Portland to Pellyton. There, 14 houses were destroyed or received major damage. 3 mobile homes and 27 barns were also destroyed. 146 homes and 50 barns were damaged or destroyed across Barren county, while 30 homes, 84 barns, 2 schools and 8 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Adair county. Metcalfe county also sustained minimal damage to 19 structures, major damage to 43 and destruction to 54. F2 damage was estimated across much of Metcalfe county. Many eyewitnesses across the affected counties reported two smaller sub-vortices within the parent funnels. After reviewing Doppler radar reflectivity patterns and damage patterns, it appears the first tornado moved from northern Logan county to the Barren-Metcalfe county line. Then another formed in the near Wisdom in Metcalfe county before it dissipated 2 miles east of Edmonton. A final tornado from the parent supercell formed near Portland in Adair county and moved 20 miles to Pellyton before also dissipating. | |||||||||||
| 32.5 | 1965-05-26 | 2 | 36°42'N / 86°36'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Simpson | |||
| 32.7 | 2009-10-09 | 2 | 36°42'N / 85°53'W | 36°48'N / 85°37'W | 16.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Monroe |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near Flippin at the intersection of Fountain Run Rd and State Highway 678. The tornado did EF-1 damage from there to near Mud Lick before strengthening and causing EF-2 damage to homes, barns and trees. The highest concentration of damage was from Rockbridge Road and Bray School Road to North Willow Springs Road near. Near the end of the path, the tornado width was one half mile. This is a very rural area of the county and homes and buildings were sparse. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong storm system moved into central Kentucky during the early morning hours of October 9th bringing a round of flash flooding and even some straight line winds and a tornado to the area. Later in the afternoon across southeast portions of central Kentucky, sunny skies allow a more unstable airmass to produce more severe weather and two EF-2 tornadoes resulted. | |||||||||||
| 33.4 | 1989-03-29 | 2 | 37°30'N / 86°13'W | 37°34'N / 86°08'W | 7.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grayson |
| 34.9 | 1955-03-04 | 2 | 36°37'N / 86°35'W | 36°38'N / 86°31'W | 3.80 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Sumner |
| 35.0 | 1997-03-28 | 2 | 36°53'N / 85°43'W | 37°02'N / 85°27'W | 15.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 6 | 1.0M | 0 | Metcalfe |
| Brief Description: F28MH An F2 tornado touched down 1 mile west of Summer Shade just inside the Metcalfe-Barren county boarder at the intersection of Highway 90 and the Milam-Clark road killing a 28 year old woman and injuring her husband and two children. The family was thrown from their mobile home which was completely destroyed and blown away. From there, the tornado crossed Highway 90 and Highway 640 with houses damaged and some mobile homes destroyed. Then it crossed Highway 163 just south of Goodluck where one house was completely lifted off its foundation and then set back down again. The tornado proceeded into southwestern Adair county and lifted just north of Breeding. Over 100 barns, 11 mobile homes and 8 houses saw extensive structural damage or were completely destroyed across Metcalfe county with an additional 20 houses with at least moderate damage. Many other residences, barns and outbuildings received minor damage. No major damage or injuries were reported in Adair county. | |||||||||||
| 35.5 | 1984-05-06 | 2 | 36°36'N / 86°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sumner | |
| 35.7 | 1997-03-01 | 2 | 36°38'N / 85°52'W | 36°38'N / 85°47'W | 4.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Monroe |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado destroyed two homes and damaged several others. A few barns were also destroyed. Many trees and power lines also down. Several residents sighted the tornado that coincided with the doppler radar indicated mesocyclone position. | |||||||||||
| 36.1 | 2008-02-05 | 3 | 36°37'N / 85°53'W | 36°46'N / 85°35'W | 20.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.7M | 0K | Monroe |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado crossed into Monroe County, Kentucky from Macon County, Tennessee. About two miles west of Gamaliel, the tornado destroyed two conventional homes and two mobile homes. Thirteen residents of the four homes took shelter in the basement of one of the homes. They escaped without injury, although they were trapped in rubble for 30 minutes. Several other homes were damaged in a subdivision a mile north of Gamaliel. The tornado ripped the roof off a brick home there. It tracked across rural Monroe County, uprooting and snapping large trees. On the north side of Tompkinsville, it destroyed a large wood frame warehouse and twisted a large steel frame metal building off its foundation. A nearby well built brick home had its roof and exterior walls swept away. It also destroyed a detached three car garage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front along with a strong upper level low produced a squall line that crossed central Kentucky. This set off widespread severe weather, and spawned several tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 36.3 | 1963-03-19 | 2 | 36°36'N / 86°38'W | 36°34'N / 86°23'W | 14.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Robertson |
| 36.3 | 1997-03-28 | 3 | 37°26'N / 85°47'W | 37°27'N / 85°45'W | 2.00 Miles | 1200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3.0M | 0 | Larue |
| Brief Description: A 40 year old man was killed as an F3 tornado with winds estimated at 175 mph touched down near Bonnieville in Hart county and moved northeast 9 miles to the town of Magnolia in Larue county before lifting. The deceased man was killed in his house in Hammonville as the house was blown 50 yards away from its foundation. A few other poorly secured homes were lifted clean off their foundations as well. Most of the injured were hurt when the tornado crossed I-65 at exit 71 causing several accidents. In Hart county, 14 people were injured in addition to the 1 death. 32 houses and 8 mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed most in Bonnieville. DES officials estimate total damage at 1.4 million dollars. In Larue county, 22 houses and 20 barns were heavily damaged or destroyed with most of the damage in Magnolia. DES officials estimated total damage around 3 million dollars half of which was damage to a dairy farm. The farmer lost 80 cattle as as the barn collapsed on them. One man lost a restored model-T that he was used in car shows and exhibits. The only injury was to a Deputy Sheriff who rode out the storm in his cruiser. He badly bruised his hand and said he witnessed a near-by uninhabited car thrown more than 20 feet overtop of his cruiser. | |||||||||||
| 36.5 | 1984-05-06 | 2 | 36°35'N / 86°31'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sumner | |
| 36.7 | 1955-03-04 | 2 | 36°37'N / 86°36'W | 36°37'N / 86°35'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Robertson | ||
| 37.1 | 2008-02-05 | 3 | 36°27'N / 86°10'W | 36°37'N / 85°53'W | 19.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 13 | 44 | 14.1M | 1.0M | Macon |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Thirteen people were killed, and 44 folks were injured. Most of the fatalities occurred in Williams, just northwest of Lafayette. Also, 170 homes were destroyed, and 9 homes had major damage. There was one indirect fatality, a male 48 years of age, due to carbon monoxide poisoning in his home from a generator on Feb. 6, 2008. Pres. George W. Bush toured Macon County destruction on February 8th and promised relief to individuals. The logging industry in Macon County was hit hard. About a million dollars worth of trees were destroyed, which will take decades to replenish. It was estimated that the tornado outbreak did 10 million dollars worth of damage to trees in the state of Tennessee. One large brick home worth about 350 thousand dollars was poorly built. The bricks rested on cinder blocks that were not cemented. This was noticed on a storm survey. Schools were closed for over a week, and classes did not start again until Tuesday, February 19. FEMA spent 4.1 million dollars for housing displaced residents in trailers. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The Super Severe Weather Outbreak on Feb. 5, 2008 produced supercelluar thunderstorms, well in advance of a multicell line of thunderstorms. The whole episode lasted about 6 hours. This occurred ironically while many states, including Tennessee, were participating in the Super Tuesday Primary Election. Fortunately, polls had already closed in the mid state when these tornadoes struck. | |||||||||||
| 37.2 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 36°44'N / 87°02'W | 36°56'N / 86°37'W | 20.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Logan |
| 37.6 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 36°35'N / 86°35'W | 36°35'N / 86°32'W | 2.60 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 6 | 500K | 0 | Sumner |
| Brief Description: One person was hospitalized due to injuries from the tornado. The other 5 people were treated and released for their injuries. 7 homes were destroyed, 15 homes had major damage and 14 had minor damage. 5 mobile homes were destroyed, 3 with major damage and 2 with minor damage. One business was destroyed and 3 other businesses were damaged. Several goats and cattle were killed. The heaviest damage was at 404 Glen Have Rd. 2 mobile homes were destroyed and blown off their foundation. 18 outbuildings, 16 barns and 2 churches were damaged. A Chrysler Cirrus LX sedan was flipped and pushed 20 feet. A Ford Ranger truck flipped and rolled 90 feet. A 6 inch by 6 inch board was hurled through the roof of a modular home. Kirby Building Services located at 124 Kirby Road in the industrial park area, sustained 50 percent damage according to the Portland Fire Dept. 11 tornadoes were reported in Middle Tennessee in one of the worst tornadic outbreaks ever in November. 8 people...and possibly a ninth victim...were killed in Middle Tennessee alone. Damage estimate for the tornadoes in Tennessee was placed at $160 million. Primary losses were due to houses and cars. The toll on government owned infrastructure is about $6 million. The federal government is expected to reimburse the state and affected counties for 75% of the costs of responding to the disaster. The FEMA Public Assistance Program has obligated more than $3.6 million to assist local governments. These funds will be used to reimburse local governments for debris removal, the repair of public buildings and utilities, and overtime paid to police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel. More than 900 families across the state applied for storm aid. This was the worst tornado disaster since the April3-4 outbreak in 1974. The United States Small Business Administration has approved more than 9.7 million dollars in disaster loans to assist disaster victims with repairing their property or replacing lost personal items. The 20 counties that are eligible for disaster assistance to individuals, households, and businesses were: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Carroll, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Fentress, Gibson, Henderson, Madison, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Roane, Rutherford, Scott, Sumner and Tipton and Van Buren. | |||||||||||
| 38.1 | 1977-03-28 | 2 | 36°31'N / 86°02'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Macon | |
| 39.4 | 1970-04-27 | 4 | 36°31'N / 86°39'W | 36°33'N / 86°22'W | 15.80 Miles | 250 Yards | 1 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Sumner |
| 40.7 | 1971-04-27 | 3 | 37°12'N / 86°57'W | 37°11'N / 86°54'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Muhlenberg |
| 40.7 | 1972-04-11 | 2 | 37°22'N / 85°35'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Green | |||
| 40.9 | 2008-02-05 | 3 | 36°46'N / 85°34'W | 36°46'N / 85°33'W | 1.00 Mile | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1K | 0K | Cumberland |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This was the end point of a tornado that crossed into Monroe County, Kentucky from Sumner County, Tennessee. The tornado moved through a rural area of Cumberland County and lifted about three miles southwest of Marrowbone. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front along with a strong upper level low produced a squall line that crossed central Kentucky. This set off widespread severe weather, and spawned several tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 41.2 | 1961-05-07 | 3 | 37°25'N / 87°00'W | 37°24'N / 86°37'W | 21.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ohio |
| 41.3 | 1956-02-27 | 3 | 36°28'N / 86°39'W | 36°33'N / 86°24'W | 15.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Sumner |
| 41.5 | 1955-04-24 | 2 | 36°25'N / 86°30'W | 36°32'N / 86°21'W | 11.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| 41.9 | 1963-04-29 | 2 | 36°50'N / 86°55'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Logan | |||
| 41.9 | 1997-03-28 | 2 | 37°26'N / 85°39'W | 37°28'N / 85°37'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 20K | 0 | Green |
| Brief Description: A second tornado formed on the southern flank of the supercell that produced the tornado from Bonnieville to Magnolia. This second tornado formed as the first one dissipated. This second tornado touched down in Creal and did some damage there including a barn that was thrown across Highway 61. County road 2762 was also blocked by downed trees. Then the tornado proceeded northeastward and crossed Highway 210 into southern Larue county where again several trees and some power lines blocked the road there. There were 5 mobile homes and 4 barns destroyed and a church damaged in Pleasant Ridge. From there, the tornado moved northeastward into Marion county and dissipated 3 miles west of St. Joseph. Numerous trees and power lines were down across western Marion county. | |||||||||||
| 42.6 | 2008-02-05 | 2 | 36°25'N / 86°16'W | 36°27'N / 86°10'W | 6.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 2 | 5 | 1K | 0K | Trousdale |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Tornado ripped a gas plant and caused a gas leak and fire at the Columbia Gulf Transmission Company at 5422 Green Grove Road in Hartsville, TN. The fire eventually burned itself out. Two people were killed, and 5 people were injured. Ten homes were destroyed, and 23 homes had major damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The Super Severe Weather Outbreak on Feb. 5, 2008 produced supercelluar thunderstorms, well in advance of a multicell line of thunderstorms. The whole episode lasted about 6 hours. This occurred ironically while many states, including Tennessee, were participating in the Super Tuesday Primary Election. Fortunately, polls had already closed in the mid state when these tornadoes struck. | |||||||||||
| 43.6 | 1997-03-28 | 2 | 36°58'N / 85°26'W | 36°58'N / 85°25'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Adair |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down 1 mile west of Summer Shade just inside the Metcalfe-Barren county boarder at the intersection of Highway 90 and the Milam-Clark road killing a 28 year old woman and injuring her husband and two children. The family was thrown from their mobile home which was completely destroyed and blown away. From there, the tornado crossed Highway 90 and Highway 640 with houses damaged and some mobile homes destroyed. Then it crossed Highway 163 just south of Goodluck where one house was completely lifted off its foundation and then set back down again. The tornado proceeded into southwestern Adair county and lifted just north of Breeding. Over 100 barns, 11 mobile homes and 8 houses saw extensive structural damage or were completely destroyed across Metcalfe county with an additional 20 houses with at least moderate damage. Many other residences, barns and outbuildings received minor damage. No major damage or injuries were reported in Adair county. | |||||||||||
| 43.7 | 1971-04-27 | 4 | 37°09'N / 85°27'W | 37°09'N / 85°24'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Green |
| 44.2 | 1952-03-22 | 3 | 37°32'N / 85°43'W | 37°33'N / 85°40'W | 2.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 18 | 250K | 0 | Larue |
| 44.5 | 1998-04-03 | 2 | 36°27'N / 86°29'W | 36°24'N / 86°19'W | 15.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Sumner |
| Brief Description: The tornado downed trees, power lines and took off roofs to many homes. Areas just south of Cottontown were hardest hit. Homes were also damaged just north of Gallatin on RT 109 and Douglas Lane. | |||||||||||
| 44.6 | 2008-02-06 | 2 | 37°39'N / 86°00'W | 37°40'N / 85°52'W | 7.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0K | Hardin |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado destroyed a trailer and an outbuilding along Hansborough Road. It caused major roof damage along Bethlehem Academy Road, with one home losing the roof completely. Several boats were flipped over, and a large bus was pushed two feet. The tornado pushed in garage doors at an industrial building along Ring Road. This building also suffered significant roof damage. At Central Hardin High School, the tornado snapped concrete pillar stadium lights at the football stadium. The press box was thrown on to the playing field and destroyed. The basketball gym and a wing of the school suffered roof damage consistent with an EF2 tornado. Along Black Branch Road just east of the school complex, the tornado caused some structural damage to homes. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front along with a strong upper level low produced a squall line that crossed central Kentucky. This set off widespread severe weather, and spawned several tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 44.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 37°13'N / 85°28'W | 37°17'N / 85°24'W | 5.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Green |
| 45.8 | 2008-02-05 | 3 | 36°22'N / 86°20'W | 36°25'N / 86°16'W | 4.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 7 | 14 | 10.0M | 0K | Sumner |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The Castalian Springs Post Office was completely destroyed. There were 85 homes destroyed in Sumner County. Also in Castalian Springs, a 180 year-old structure called Wynnewood, lost the top of its structure due to the tornado. The historic log structure served as a stagecoach stop. The structure had 3 chimneys and was 142 feet long, making it the longest log structure in Tennessee. Officials say it would take 2 years and $6 million to restore Wynnewood. It is Sumner County's sole historic landmark. Also, 102 trees were lost in the area by the tornado. The 11-month-old son of Kerri Stowell survived the storm and was found miraculously unharmed in a field across the street from their home in Castalian Springs. Unfortunately, Kerri Stowell was killed in the tornado. The tornado directly killed 7 people in Sumner County, and there was one indirect fatality when Mr. Lampkin, age 63, died of a heart attack while seeking shelter in his home. There were 14 people injured in Sumner County. This tornado continued into Trousdale and Macon Counties, and also into Kentucky. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The Super Severe Weather Outbreak on Feb. 5, 2008 produced supercelluar thunderstorms, well in advance of a multicell line of thunderstorms. The whole episode lasted about 6 hours. This occurred ironically while many states, including Tennessee, were participating in the Super Tuesday Primary Election. Fortunately, polls had already closed in the mid state when these tornadoes struck. | |||||||||||
| 45.9 | 1991-04-09 | 2 | 36°39'N / 87°01'W | 36°43'N / 86°47'W | 12.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Logan |
| 46.1 | 1967-05-07 | 2 | 36°22'N / 86°12'W | 36°24'N / 86°08'W | 4.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Trousdale |
| 46.2 | 1997-03-28 | 2 | 37°27'N / 85°37'W | 37°30'N / 85°30'W | 5.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Larue |
| Brief Description: A second tornado formed on the southern flank of the supercell that produced the tornado from Bonnieville to Magnolia. This second tornado formed as the first one dissipated. This second tornado touched down in Creal and did some damage there including a barn that was thrown across Highway 61. County road 2762 was also blocked by downed trees. Then the tornado proceeded northeastward and crossed Highway 210 into southern Larue county where again several trees and some power lines blocked the road there. There were 5 mobile homes and 4 barns destroyed and a church damaged in Pleasant Ridge. From there, the tornado moved northeastward into Marion county and dissipated 3 miles west of St. Joseph. Numerous trees and power lines were down across western Marion county. | |||||||||||
| 46.2 | 1966-08-13 | 2 | 37°28'N / 86°52'W | 1.50 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ohio | |
| 47.2 | 1998-04-16 | 2 | 36°26'N / 85°50'W | 36°26'N / 85°51'W | 3.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5K | 0 | Macon |
| Brief Description: Many trees and power lines were blown down. A roof was damaged to a house and also to a barn on White Springs Road from large tree branches. | |||||||||||
| 47.5 | 1999-05-05 | 2 | 36°23'N / 86°28'W | 36°24'N / 86°27'W | 0.70 Mile | 220 Yards | 0 | 17 | 1.0M | 0 | Sumner |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down and struck the Rucker Stewart M.S. in the Gallatin city limits, continued northeast and hit the Greenwood Apartments and finally the Gallatin Post Office. The damage to the school and the post office was mainly roof damage. However, the Greenwood Apartments were the hardest hit. 40 families or 100 people were temporarily homeless. 3 apartment buildings were condemned. 17 people were treated at the Sumner Regional Medical Center and released. There were no serious injuries. | |||||||||||
| 48.3 | 1986-04-20 | 3 | 36°50'N / 85°22'W | 36°53'N / 85°22'W | 3.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Cumberland |
| 48.4 | 2006-01-02 | 2 | 37°40'N / 85°58'W | 37°46'N / 85°54'W | 8.40 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Hardin |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down near Cecilia, blowing the roof off a barn, but only producing shingle damage on nearby residences. It did more damage when it reached St. John Road, where it destroyed a home and some farm buildings. As the tornado continued to the northeast, it produced major roof damage to homes along Rineyville Road. Next, an office building that was under construction was lifted off its foundation. A convenience store was destroyed along U.S. 31W. A few more homes received minor damage before the tornado lifted near Longview. | |||||||||||
| 48.6 | 1981-08-05 | 2 | 37°20'N / 85°24'W | 1.00 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Taylor | |
| 48.7 | 1998-04-03 | 2 | 36°28'N / 85°46'W | 36°30'N / 85°36'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Jackson |
| Brief Description: 3 barns were completely destroyed, several houses, a church, and other barns lost roofs. | |||||||||||
| 48.9 | 1998-04-16 | 2 | 36°19'N / 86°17'W | 36°22'N / 86°07'W | 8.90 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Trousdale |
| Brief Description: Downed trees in rural areas. | |||||||||||
| 50.0 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 36°16'N / 86°12'W | 36°24'N / 85°58'W | 15.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Wilson |
| 50.0 | 2003-05-11 | 2 | 37°43'N / 86°01'W | 37°47'N / 85°56'W | 6.50 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 5 | 1.0M | 0 | Hardin |
| Brief Description: The tornado formed southwest of Rineyville near Highway 1375. It then skipped across the countryside and reached the town of Rineyville. The tornado then moved about 3 miles northeast of Rineyville and dissipated. It did not appear to be on the ground for the entire duration. Embedded in the tornado path was significant straight line wind damage. An estimated 40 homes were damaged or destroyed. Many of the heavily damaged structures were mobile homes. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.